ASK MOHAI: Remembering Christmas at a Japanese relocation camp

Twice a month, we ask the experts at the Museum of History and Industry for a tidbit about Seattle’s history. Here’s the latest from MOHAI’s Phyllis Franklin.

On December 10th, MOHAI invited the Seattle community to the museum for a day of sharing. An amazing array of stories emerged, some heart wrenching, many humorous, and all vitally important to the larger story of Seattle. One of the attendees related how, at the age of fourteen, she and her family were incarcerated at Camp Minadoka, a Japanese relocation camp in Idaho. Inspired by this story, MOHAI decided to explore the experiences of other camp incarcerees during the Christmas of 1944, just as camp residents learned that they would be freed within weeks.

Rumors had been circulating that the order was coming, and on December 18th, 1944, it finally came: the residents of Camp Minidoka could leave, beginning January 1st, 1945. The camp’s official newspaper, The Minidoka Irrigator, reported that, along with news of imminent relocations (six families had already applied to return to Seattle), camp residents should observe Christmas. The celebration would be for the children and for the adult sons of camp residents whose U.S. patriotism put them in harm’s way on the European front lines. The editors encouraged camp families to look forward to the day when their sons could return to their true homes, rather than the camps.

Along with announcements of marital engagements, movie screenings, and casualties of war, The Minidoka Irrigator also reported that 29 camp divisions, called “blocks,” had registered for the best Christmas decoration contest. Each team was provided with a tree, ornaments, and a Santa Suit that would be used to create the most artistic Christmas scene. Three top prizes would be awarded, and winners would receive a full Chinese dinner, served by waiters and waitresses, accompanied by entertainment. The first prize winners won with the theme of “When the Lights go on Again,” a popular song of the era which longed for peace and a return to life as it was before the war. The Santa suits were used by “Block Santas” who handed out hundreds of gifts to the children of the camp, gifts which had been donated from all over the country — a fact not lost on camp residents. A carol service was scheduled for Christmas Eve, but the newspaper made no mention of events for Christmas. It is easy to imagine the day was spent planning for the future.

On December 30th, the Minadoka Irrigator reported that 500 families had expressed interest in returning to Seattle, despite claims that some families were already facing opposition when they attempted to return home. According to The Seattle Times, the first family to return to Seattle, the Kinoshitas, would arrive January 12th. Though the transition wasn’t always easy, the former incarcerees forged new lives for themselves, still carrying painful memories of their camp years. Many, have only now begun to speak of their experiences.

This holiday season, MOHAI encourages you to spend time thinking about, and – more importantly – sharing the stories that have defined you and your family.

For more information on the incarceration of Japanese-Americans during World War II, visit MOHAI this holiday season or check out www.densho.org.